New Brunswick renting guide
Renting a room or shared housing in New Brunswick
Renting a room is usually covered by the Act, with one big exception: if you share a kitchen or bathroom with a landlord who lives in the building, you are not covered by the law.
What are my rights when I rent a room or shared housing in New Brunswick?
For tenants
If you rent a room but share a kitchen or bathroom with your landlord and they live in the same building, the Residential Tenancies Act does not protect you, and your rights come down to your agreement. If you do not share those with the landlord, for example a rooming house or a self-contained room, you are covered like any tenant, and a rooming-house landlord has to provide and maintain a lock on your door.
For landlords
If you live in the building and share a kitchen or bathroom with the person renting a room, that arrangement is outside the Act. Otherwise, rooming and boarding houses are covered, with extra duties such as providing door locks. Know which situation you are in before you rely on the Act's process.
The key facts
- Renting a room
- Usually covered by the Act
- Key exception
- Sharing kitchen or bath with a live-in landlord
- In that case
- Not covered by the Act
- Rooming house
- Landlord must provide a door lock
Common questions
I rent a room and share the kitchen with my landlord. Am I covered by tenant law?
Probably not. If you share a kitchen or bathroom with a landlord who lives in the building, that arrangement is excluded from the Residential Tenancies Act, so your rights depend on your agreement rather than the Act. If you do not share those spaces with the landlord, you are covered like any tenant.
Sources
This is general information, not legal advice. For a decision on your situation, contact Tenant and Landlord Relations Office (formerly the Residential Tenancies Tribunal).
Have a specific question? Ask the rental assistant for a plain answer with a source.
